Duration of aversive memory in zebrafish after a single shock

Abstract

Studies on memory consolidation and reconsolidation, memory loss, and the associated biochemical mechanisms have garnered interest in the past decades due to knowledge of memory performance-affecting factors such as stress, emotions, sleep, age, several neurological diseases, drugs, and chemical pollutants. Memory research has been using animal models, with increased interest in the zebrafish model. This freshwater fish species shows a wide range of behaviors relevant to memory research such as social behavior, aggression, and predator avoidance; however, few studies have investigated the duration of long-term memory. Hence, we designed an experiment to test memory duration by exposing zebrafish to avoidance conditioning using electroshock as the aversive stimulus. Zebrafish were trained to avoid the black side of a black-and-white tank and subsequently tested for aversive memory at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, 168 h, and 240 h. At the 72 h-interval, another zebrafish group was trained and exposed to MK-801(NMDAr antagonist) and then tested. The fish retained memories of the task and avoided the black side of the tank for up to 7 days. At 10 days post-training, the animals could no longer retrieve the aversive memory. Zebrafish treated with MK-801 did not retrieve memory. Knowledge of memory and of long-term memory duration is crucial for optimizing the zebrafish model for use in research investigating cognitive impairments such as memory loss and its ramifications. Additionally, identifying a long-term aversive memory lasting up to 7 days in zebrafish enables further research into the neuronal changes underlying this persistence. Such in-depth investigation could bring valuable insights into memory mechanisms and facilitate targeted interventions for memory-related conditions.